Firmenich, together with Nestlé and number of other companies, convened in Lisbon to make a commitment to the Nestlé Alliance for YOUth programme which aims to bring together private companies, alongside European institutions and national governments, in the fight against youth unemployment.

Political leaders including José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, Pedro Passos Coelho, the prime minister of Portugal, Xavier Prats Monné, the deputy director general of the DG Education and Detlef Eckert, the director of the DG Employment were present. Other than Firmenich and Nestlé, the 13 global partners that signed up to the European Alliance for Apprenticeships included Google, Facebook, Axa, Twitter and Salesforce.